Hi everyone, I hope you’re having a great summer!
We are technically in the middle of our “winter” here in Nicaragua, which is essentially just a rainy season from mid-June through August. It’s quite a change to the winters we are used to! We’ve been here for 4 months now and wanted to catch you up on what we’ve been up to lately.
A large portion of our July was spent preparing for and hosting a short-term team from Mars Hill Church in Alabama. Right now, our team hosts between 5-10 short-term teams each year and they come from various churches and organizations around the US, all from different denominations and backgrounds. Mars Hill Church has been sending teams to Nicaragua for many years now, and about half of the team had been to Masatepe multiple times. It was so cool to watch them reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and pour into the people of Masatepe. They definitely provided some much needed “wind in our team’s sails” as they not only helped with various work projects, but took the time to encourage us as a team.
The past few weeks, I (Brian) have been transitioning to a schedule with less language learning and more official work-related duties, which I am very excited for! Right now, I am stepping into a role where I will help evaluate performance of each of our business segments, and then work with each segment/business leader to strategize and plan for future success.
Nique has had her hands full recently as well, and has been very involved with Beto’s Coffee Company, our business that sells handmade goods in the US. 100% of the proceeds go to empowering artisans and the communities where they work.
Beto’s Coffee Company started with our namesake, Don Beto, a local artisan and entrepreneurial man, and has expanded from there to include more artisans. Don Beto’s expertise is in leather goods like bags, aprons, wallets, and shoes. He just made Nique a pair of sandals! If you get the chance to meet Don Beto, at first you might be surprised that the quiet, 4-foot-3-tall grandfather standing in front of you has had such a huge impact on the city of Masatepe. But it doesn’t take long to see what makes him so special. You’ll see that he is talented and dedicated to his work, but also that he is a man that truly loves Jesus and has been changed because of it. He is a spiritual father to many people on our team and in the broader community here, and his life is a testimony to the power of Christ in a person’s life. He is a man who takes missions trips on the weekends to visit other communities who do not know Christ and the one we ask to give an encouraging word when the team needs it.
We have been so encouraged recently by the work God is doing through our team, and can’t wait to see what he has planned for our future here in Masatepe. Thanks to all of you for partnering with us. Although digital communication isn’t quite as good as in-person, it has been a blessing to hear from some of you and has helped us still feel connected to home. We miss you all and love hearing from you!
Prayer Requests:
This last month we said goodbye to our teammates, Joseph and Claire, who went back to the States to await the birth of their first child. Their baby boy was born on July 12th, and spent a full month in the hospital due to some heart issues. He is now home safe—Praise the Lord!—but please pray for continued safety and health for their family.
Please pray for our local NGO (through which One Collective operates in Nicaragua) as we’re in the process of renewing our status as an NGO. It’s been a long legal process with many hoops to jump through. Ronny, the president of our Nicaraguan NGO and team finance-guru, has been working extremely hard on this over the last few months. Please also pray for him personally as well, as it has been a frustrating and draining process at times.
We’d appreciate prayer for the continued strengthening of our relationships here, and that Nique and I would be able to model Christ well to those around us.